Treatments for childhood nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL

The following are treatment options for childhood nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). The healthcare team will suggest treatments based on your child’s needs and work with you to develop a treatment plan. Treatments are based on the stage of the cancer.

Treatments for stage 1

Surgery to remove the lymph nodes is the main treatment for stage 1 nodular lymphocyte-predominant childhood HL when doctors think the tumour can be completely removed, or resected. The surgeon removes only the lymph nodes that are known to have cancer. After surgery, the healthcare team will follow the child closely for signs that the cancer has come back, or recurred.

Surgery to remove the lymph nodes is also called lymph node dissection. Find out more about lymph node dissection.

Treatments for all other stages

The following treatments may be offered for stage 2, 3 or 4 nodular lymphocyte-predominant childhood HL.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for stages 2 to 4 of nodular lymphocyte-predominant childhood HL. It may be given alone or it may be followed by radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy

After chemotherapy, low-dose radiation therapy may be given to areas that have cancer. The type of radiation therapy used is external beam radiation therapy. During external beam radiation therapy, a machine directs radiation through the skin to the tumour and some of the tissue around it.

Clinical trials

Many children with Hodgkin lymphoma enter a clinical trial that is tailored to the risk group or stage of their disease. The clinical trial protocol outlines the chemotherapy drugs and dosages used. Find out more about clinical trials.